Generally Impressed With Riffs
[Cover artwork by Luca “Zeero” Zironi] There was always something uniquely charming about Konquest’s brand of traditional heavy metal—an almost whimsical breeziness that still felt like a near perfect balance of playful and substantive. A long-lost Italian cousin to Sweden’s …
[Cover art by Beyond Art] There are bad musical moods, and then there’s Mylingar. Over the course of the last decade this group of anonymous Swedes has concocted the type of ill-meaning black/death that makes Diocletian seem like a Care …
[Cover artwork by Subhuman at Desert Dungeon] Let’s talk about our love for quirky metal. Okay, sure, any definable level of ‘quirk’ is obviously subjective, but I’m guessing you know we’re not talking about the guy who loves The Black …
[Cover art by Mister Curse] Stack Overflow In Corpse Pile Interface. Stack Overflow in…Corpse Pile Interface? “What’s in a name? That which we call a corpse pile, by any other word would smell as putrid” – billy shakes Forgive my …
Originally written by Jordan Campbell Order of Ennead’s self-titled debut flew over Metal Review HQ like a stealth bomber. Somehow, we failed to notice it at the time of release (for reasons still unknown), but …
originally written by Erik Thomas I’ve long championed Chicago’s Veil of Maya as one of the better shred-styled modern metal bands, from their 2006 debut to the overlooked Sumerian release, The Common Man’s Collapse. While labelmates Periphery seems to be getting an …
originally written by Erik Thomas Released last year on Scrotum Jus Records, the debut full-length from Singaporean trio Wormrot finally get more exposure worldwide thanks to Earache, who also gave Insect Warfare’s World Extermination the same treatment, and this album is right …
originally written by Erik Thomas Shifting is the album that I actually prefer to The Ocean’s recent Heliocentric as a mellower take on post-rock, also bringing to mind the likes of Day Without Dawn and Tides. What gives Italy’s At the Soundawn a little character …
None of my numerous visits to Indianapolis have ever led me to believe that the pleasant Midwestern metropolis could produce anything like this. Detroit and Toledo, sure, but not Indy, home of the champion Colts …
Celestia embodies the wonderful paradox of melody in black metal as well as any other band, and, at once bleak and beautiful, Archaenae Perfectii (L’Arche Arcane des Parfaits) is a model instantiation of the lately …
Originally written by Ian Chainey What part does nostalgia play in our enjoyment of music? My dad has been raiding the shit-stained Rhapsodic vaults for Glenn Miller, not because he likes the bland cat, but …
What I loved about The Vision Bleak’s last offering, 2007’s The Wolves Go Hunt Their Prey, was its capture and conveyance of the Gothic spirit at no cost to the essence of Heavy Metal. What …
